Outside Team To Develop Strategy For Newark's Schools

Under threat of a state takeover, Newark, N.J., officials have
engaged some of the nation's top education reformers to overhaul the
city's troubled school system.

The Newark school board last week approved Executive Superintendent
Eugene C. Campbell's plan to launch what could become one of the most
comprehensive urban initiatives in the nation.

The superintendent of New Jersey's largest school district has
assembled a team led by Robert S. Peterkin, the director of the
urban-superintendents program at Harvard University.

Mr. Peterkin will be joined by Francis Keppel, a former U.S.
commissioner of education; the social psychologist Jeff Howard, the
founder of the Efficacy Institute; and members of the National Urban
Alliance for Effective Education at Teachers College at Columbia
University.

"Whatever it takes to change the system, I'm prepared to do,'' said
Mr. Campbell. "I'm also prepared to resign if we can't do all of
this.''

While few specifics of a reform strategy were available last week,
Mr. Peterkin said the team will submit to district officials within 60
days a plan to accelerate academic improvement and remove impediments
to reform.

Unlike other urban initiatives that have focused on a single set of
reforms or have been piloted in a few schools at a time, sponsors said,
the plan for Newark is to reconstruct the system on both the academic
and business sides and to make changes in all schools.

Mr. Campbell said he would eliminate programs if they were deemed
ineffective. He also said he would be willing to cut or shift the
workforce--an area in which the state has been particularly critical of
the district.

A Systemwide Laboratory

Project officials said once a revitalized system is in place,
graduates will be expected to understand calculus, speak two languages,
and write a literate 25-page paper.

"What I think is truly unique about Newark is that people will be
coming into the system exploring how to link various projects
together,'' said Eric J. Cooper, the executive director of the National
Urban Alliance.

Because Newark has every imaginable urban problem but a manageably
sized student population of 48,000, "It's the perfect education
laboratory for looking at systemwide reform,'' Mr. Cooper said.

The announcement of the plan comes on the heels of the release of
anemic scores on the state high school proficiency test that juniors
took last fall.

Only 34.1 percent of Newark students passed the mathematics portion,
43.5 percent passed the reading part, and 65.3 percent passed the
writing section.

Not only did Newark's 11th graders perform poorly compared with the
statewide average, they scored well below the average posted by
students in the state's other poor, urban districts.

A New Attitude

The action appears to reflect a shift in attitude on the part of
district officials.

During the past year, the state education department has moved
toward a potential takeover of the district, citing evidence of alleged
financial improprieties, inadequate or nonexistent policies, and
instructional shortcomings. (See Education Week, June 23, 1993.)

Until recently, Newark officials have responded by attacking the
state's portrayal of their schools and emphasizing that the district
was addressing its problems. Critics have accused the district in some
cases of attempting to impede the state investigation.

Mr. Campbell said last week that although the district had made
incremental progress, he was no longer satisfied with the pace of
change or the goal of meeting statewide minimum standards.

The superintendent said he hoped to begin implementing the changes
by July 1.

By June, however, Commissioner of Education Leo Klagholz is expected
to decide whether the state will seize control of the Newark schools,
as it has done in Jersey City and Paterson. (See related story, page
24.)

Thomas J. King, who is heading the state investigation, said it was
premature to speculate on the impact of the initiative. But he said the
lengthy procedure that could lead to a takeover would continue.

"They have had ample opportunity over the years to correct the
deficiencies,'' Mr. King said.

While not passing judgment on the reformers or their intentions,
Sen. John H. Ewing, the chairman of the Senate education committee,
said he doubted anything would help until there is a "clean sweep'' of
the leadership.

Both Mr. Peterkin and Mr. Cooper said they believed that Newark
officials sincerely want their help to reform the system, rather than
just to stave off state action.

"It's wrong-headed to get caught up in the argument that this is
just another way for Newark to get the state off its back,'' said Mr.
Cooper.

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